1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a punch press, in particular to a punch press provided with an improved tool magazine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional punch press has a tool magazine of horizontal type or vertical type for storing tool assemblies to be used. The tool assemblies are taken out for use of the magazine at its automatically tool changing location and then carried and attached to a tool attaching section of the punch press by an automatic tool changer which also takes out tool assemblies of the tool attaching section of the punch press and carries them to the tool magazine.
Punch presses provided with a tool magazine of horizontal type are, for example, described in Japanese patent (U) 62-127321 and West Germany Patent (A1) 3507220. A press described in the above Japanese Patent has a tool magazine within a frame of the press, and therefore the number of tool assemblies stored in the magazine is limited. A press described in the above West German Patent has a tool magazine outside a frame of the press and therefore occupies a large area for the magazine.
A tool magazine of vertical type is, for example, described in Japanese patent (A) 61-115630. In this tool magazine, tool assemblies will be upside down when the magazine is operated to select the tool assemblies. This troubles the operator for changing tool assemblies manually with ease.
When a number of tool assemblies in the magazine are replaced with other tool assemblies at the manually tool changing location opposite the automatically tool changing location of the magazine, it is carried out manually. Therefore, the operator is sometimes injured when changing or carrying the tool assemblies since the weight of a punching tool assemblies or an upper die holder is about 25 Kg (245N, 55 pounds). Japanese Patent (B2) 64-135 discloses a device whereby the operator can take out tool assemblies safely of a tool magazine. For this device, however, a pair of tool assemblies, that is, an upper and a lower die holders taken out are superimposed. This makes it difficult for the operator to handle the tool assemblies easily and therefore handle them safely.